MTLNOVEL Chapter 132 The Humiliated Newlywed Wife_2
When the four of them arrived at the victim's home in Dean's SUV, patrol officers had already cordoned off the house, with onlookers gathered outside.
The forensic team members, who had been notified, had completed a preliminary survey of the clues without moving any items inside the house.
They got out of the car.
After greeting the patrol officers, Detective Chief Leslie extended a hand towards Dean. "Detective Chief Dean, thank you for coming."
Portolia, standing nearby, batted her foxy eyes expectantly at Dean.
"No trouble at all. Maybe we'll still make it in time for lunch."
Dean led the way to the forensic team members. "Gentlemen, I'm Detective Chief Dean. Can you tell me where the victim's husband is?"
Upon hearing Dean's name, a middle-aged man with a receding hairline instinctively took two steps back, then pointed at a disheveled white man squatting outside the house, smoking a cigarette.
He looked even younger than Dean, perhaps in his early twenties. His face, which should have been brimming with the joy of a newlywed, now resembled that of a world-weary addict, wreathed in smoke, his eyes red and bloodshot.
Dean glanced at him but didn't disturb him. After donning gloves and shoe covers, he examined the front door, observing the lock for a moment before entering the house.
The place was a very ordinary three-bedroom, two-living-room bungalow with new furnishings. It must have been purchased not long ago, with a market price around $150,000. The items inside were very new but appeared somewhat disordered, with traces of being ransacked.
Inside the living room, a female corpse lay supine, eyes wide open in a sprawling position.
Death had occurred over six hours ago. The ligature marks on the woman's hands from being bound were clearly visible. They showed signs of dispersion, indicating that the woman had been tied up for a long time before her death, leading to a fierce struggle.
A cut belt was around the corpse's neck. Her mouth was slightly open, revealing minor bruises inside. Her tongue lolled out, and some white foam clung to the corners of her mouth. Moving closer, one could smell a faint, acrid stench emanating from the body.
Beside the female corpse lay a kicked-over chair.
Dean squatted down and closely examined the dilated pupils of the woman's eyes.
There were tiny spots of hemorrhage on the surface of her eyeballs—a typical feature of asphyxial death.
Upon removing the belt, Dean found it was of appropriate tightness. Though he already had an answer in mind, he still inspected the ligature marks on her neck.
The marks were deeply indented in a conical suspension pattern.
These were typical signs left by suicide by hanging.
However, because the woman had used a belt, her death involved more struggle than usual. It even caused her to lose control of her sphincter muscles, leading to defecation and urination at the time of death—an undignified end.
"Dean, I feel like something is missing here. Have you found anything?" Harry asked.
"The woman committed suicide," Dean said. "But before that, she must have been bound, gagged, and assaulted for a long period."
Harry wasn't stupid. He immediately reacted, "Dean, are you suspecting that someone broke in to steal, discovered the victim, then tied her up and assaulted her? And afterward, the victim, feeling too ashamed to face her newlywed husband, chose suicide?"
"That seems to be the case."
As Dean spoke, he walked around the house, finally stopping in the master bedroom.
There was a Scandinavian-style oak bed with rails at the head and foot. Above the headboard, on the wall, hung the couple's wedding photo.
The couple snuggled together, looking happily and sweetly at the camera, capturing the most beautiful moment of their lives.
Beneath the wedding photo was a small date: 12/25.
They were married on Christmas Day. It had been less than two weeks...
Dean's gaze shifted from the somewhat messy bed and bedframe as he exhaled a hot breath. "There were two culprits. They tied the victim to the foot of the bed in a doggy-style position, assaulting her from both ends... right in front of her and her husband's wedding photo! I guess that's the reason. After the assault was over, unable to cope with the trauma, the victim chose suicide!"
Their honeymoon had just begun, what should have been a time for enjoying sweet moments together, yet she had encountered such humiliation.
A normal woman would find it hard to cope with such a shock.
Hearing this, Harry clenched his fists so tightly they creaked. "Those two bastards! Once we catch them, I'll make sure they get a warm welcome!"
"If possible, I'd rather physically castrate them first, let them enjoy the 'pleasure' of their sphincters becoming like sunflowers when they enter prison, and then hang them!"
Dean said his piece and turned to leave.
He wasn't joking. There are things a man does and things he doesn't do. He despises rapists above all else!
「Outside the house.」
Chief Leslie had already discussed the collected clues with the forensics team and had been briefed on the direction of the investigation.
Seeing Dean come out, he smiled and said, "Chief Dean, did you find anything?"
Dean didn't look at him. Instead, he instructed the forensics team, "The victim suffered a prolonged sexual assault before her death. Pay close attention to her mouth and genital area for clues. Under normal circumstances, there should definitely be genetic material from the perpetrator in the victim's mouth and throat."
As a Detective Chief from the Detective Bureau, Dean was a junior leader who could now mobilize ordinary forensics members and patrol officers, no longer needing to rely solely on connections for such conveniences.
The balding middle-aged man looked at Dean in surprise and nodded. Dean had found the key point in such a short time. It was no wonder he was known as the "Fiend of Forensics" Dean—if only he wasn't so quick to blow someone's head off at the slightest disagreement.
To be honest, the balding middle-aged man quite liked working with capable people like Dean; at least his end-of-month bonus would be substantial.
After giving instructions to the forensics team, Dean walked towards the young husband, who couldn't accept his wife's death. He patted the man's shoulder and said, "Buddy, I know it's hard for you to accept your wife's death, but you can't let her die without justice."
The man looked up, his bloodshot eyes staring straight at Dean, his voice hoarse. "What do you need me to do?"
"List the items missing from the house and give the list to me."
The man got up and went into the house.
Dean had no doubt that if the man knew who the murderers were, he would draw a gun and kill their entire families.
Unfortunately, there were no security cameras installed in this new home.
It was up to him to uncover the identity of the killers.
Having done all this, Dean finally approached Chief Leslie, looked him in the eyes, and said, "There are two perpetrators, one short and fat, one tall and thin, both male. They opened the door with a wire; they're likely habitual criminals with well-coordinated teamwork. They may have committed more than this one crime. I need the profiles on these two men!"
Leslie and Dean locked eyes for a few seconds before Leslie's face broke into a faint smile. "You are indeed impressive. By this afternoon at the latest, I will have the information you want in your hands. Also..."
He took a step back, saying sincerely, "Chief Dean, I apologize for previously doubting the authenticity of your achievements."
Dean's swift and precise identification of the culprits had won him over.
Seeing this scene, Harry chuckled to himself. Now they know how formidable Boss Dean is! But he wasn't foolish enough to laugh out loud.
Portolia, the beautiful woman who was essentially just an observer, gazed at Dean with even more intensity.
The man was only twenty-two. Such a promising future. She licked her lips, having made up her mind...
Dean was initially surprised by Leslie's candid apology, but then his taut face finally broke into a smile. He extended his hand. "Although it's really annoying to be underestimated, your demeanor has won my respect. Let's get properly acquainted—I'm Dean, the newly promoted Detective Chief from Squad Four!"
Leslie reached out his hand for the third time.
But this time, he finally grasped Dean's palm. "I'm Leslie. Of course, my friends like to call me Old Whitey."
"Old Whitey, your hair is indeed very cool. If you put on a melancholic act, you could probably charm quite a few naive young girls."
Leslie shook his head, replying seriously, "More like young wives."
The two men looked at each other and burst into hearty laughter.